Right-wing Jewish extremists have made threats against both Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, an Israeli cabinet minister said Sunday.

Environment Minister Dalia Itzik said Avraham Dichter, chief of the Shin Beth security force, warned ministers of the situation at a cabinet meeting Sunday chaired by Foreign Minister David Levy, who is acting prime minister while Barak is in the United States.

"There are no specific threats, just words, but you never know," Itzik told Israeli radio.

Jewish extremists have in the past made threats against Barak for his peace policies with the Palestinians, in particular the transfer of land they consider part of biblical Israel.

Levy said Dichter's remarks were nothing new. "He did not mention anything organized. There are words, but I am confident that the Shin Beth can handle the situation."

Barak and Arafat are leading intense negotiations at the US presidential retreat of Camp David to try to hammer out a peace deal after 52 years of conflict, but the issue of Jerusalem is proving to be a key stumbling block.

Israeli police chief Yehuda Vilk told Israeli radio that his forces would conduct an exercise in the coming two weeks to prepare for any Israeli-Palestinian clashes in the event the summit fails to reach an accord - OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AFP)